King Zan Returns
by mse
Summary: Max returns to Antar just in time for Khivar's festival. As he faces Tess and his son, he begins to remember his life as Zan. Now, his last chance to save his son, and himself, has begun. (not alot of romance, but it makes up for it in suspense)
1. Prologue: It All Began With Tess

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Falliol, Alinigar, and an old rusty pontiac. I love the show, but am not a fanatic about it, so if I mess up a detail or two please don't hunt me down.  
  
Prologue: It All Began With Tess  
  
  
  
Falliol and Alinigar, the guards of Vala 7, were grateful for the calmness of the afternoon. This was a rare occurence this time of year, as Khivar's annual festival was just days away. This year would be very special-only slightly less important than the first, when Khivar had taken the throne of Antar for his own. To some...the true Antarians to be specific, it was more important. This year's festival was not, as was custom, to celebrate Khivar alone. He had two very special guests of honor; Ava, who had just recently returned from Earth, and her child. The child of the true king of Antar. While the Antarians hailed what they believed to be their new hope...their last hope, Khivar was planning his greatest victory over the great King Zan.  
  
The guards of Vala 7 were well aware of the events to come, and it was their job to protect the palace from intruders. Nothing could be permitted to come between Khivar and his greatest sacrifice.  
  
Completely absorbed in conversation, it almost went unnoticed when two figures appeared just inside the palace gates. Falliol spotted them first, and jumped to his feet. Alinigar followed, both confused as to how these trespassers managed to get past them. As they ran towards the strangers, they noticed something very odd. One was easily identifiable as Antarian, but the second was unlike anything they had ever seen.  
  
The guards drew their swords and approached just as their leader, Khivar, exited the palace. Recognizing at least one of his visitors immediately, he called a halt to the guards. Descending the steps, his arms extended in welcome, and wearing an expression that froze the hearts of all present, he greeted his guests.  
  
"King Zan...how good of you to come. And just in time to see your son take his last breath." 


	2. This Is A Joke, Right?

Disclaimer: Still own the rusty pontiac, but nothing else in this chapter.  
  
Chapter One: This Is A Joke, Right?  
  
  
  
Michael stormed through the doors of the Crashdown, almost slamming into a customer walking out. In typical Michael behaviour, he glared at the woman trying to pass him and sarcastically grumbled...'excuse me!' She let out a whimper and moved aside, rendered speechless by this abrubt and rude young man. Completely unconcerned with his affect on her, Michael made his way through the restaurant until he saw the person he was looking for.  
  
Maria, thankfully, had just set down the last plate of celestial fries and space-dogs on the table when Michael grabbed her arm. "Backroom. Now." he ordered.  
  
Maria watched him quickly stomp towards the back and smiled a little. 'Hey Maria...how are you?' she said aloud. 'It's great to see you....I've missed you....' she continued as she followed his path. 'Would you care to join me in the backroom for a moment? Why thank you very much....' Forget it, DeLuca, she thought. Take him or leave him.  
  
Her smile faded as she entered the backroom. Michael wasn't just being his usual *charming* self...he was angry. Very angry.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, and tried to put her arm around him. He shrugged her off, taking a few steps away from her. "I could ask you the same thing," he almost shouted. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and held it up. "Did you know about this? Or am I the only one being left out in the cold?" Maria had never seen him so angry. She reached out to take the envelope from him, but instead he tossed it on the chair next to her. He didn't want to risk her touching him, not until this was finished. He had to know what she was holding back.  
  
Maria picked up the envelope with an exasperated sigh, and flopped down into the chair. Every day with Michael was something new...she sometimes wondered why she put up with it. On the envelope, simply written, was "MICHAEL". The handwriting was unfamiliar, but it obviously contained bad news...the content of which she couldn't even guess at. The only thing you can predict with czeckoslovakians, she thought with a grin...was that you can never predict anything. She glanced at Michael and was about to ask who it was from...but decided against speaking when she saw his expression. Maria pulled the letter out, and could almost hear Max's quiet voice as she read. Halfway through it she turned a deathly pale, and by the time she was finished she felt as though she might faint.  
  
  
  
Michael....  
  
I made a deal with Langley. As there was no way he  
  
could get the ship to float, he attempted to devise  
  
a way of getting back to Czeckoslovakia. I don't  
  
know if it will work, but by the time you get this  
  
letter I will know for sure. I couldn't take the chance  
  
of taking you and Isabel with me. It's dangerous  
  
where I am going, and there's a chance, however small,  
  
that I won't be able to get back home. Please tell Maria,  
  
Liz is coming with me. I can't stop her, and don't want to.  
  
If Langley is right, we'll be home soon. With my son.  
  
Max  
  
  
  
Maria looked up at Michael, but was too afraid to try and stand. "How could he do this?" she asked, her voice breaking with tears. "After everything he's done the last few months...and now....now this?" She began to cry...out of anger, out of fear, a longing to run up to Liz's room to find her safe, where she belonged. She bolted off the chair and ran up the steps....only to return moments later. "She's not there....", she said quietly. Her tears started again, and once again she sat down.  
  
Michael suddenly realized that neither Liz nor Max had told anyone of thier intended departure. Once again, he had acted before asking, and Maria deserved better. He leaned down in front of her..."You didn't know," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I thought Liz would have told you." He felt foolish, remembering how happy she had seemed when he'd first barged into the Crashdown. As if she'd be serving cokes and fries when her best friend just took off on an intergalactic space capade, he thought. "I'm sorry...." he said again, and took her in his arms. She didn't resist him; she felt too helpless and weak to even breathe. She relaxed into Michael, allowing him to comfort her, and after a short time her crying stopped, and a thought occurred to her. She pulled away and looked at Michael. "Wait a minute...." she started. "Max said in this...this stupid letter that he didn't even know if that thing would work. They may still be here. " She was surprised at how hopeful she was, by now she should know not to hope for anything where these aliens were concerned. "No.....no." she said, more to herself than to Michael. "The ship didn't work. Langley couldn't fix it. So maybe...." She stood up quickly, almost knocking Michael off of his knees. Grabbing her jacket, she started for the door. She turned to find Michael still sitting on the floor. "Are you coming or not?" she demanded.  
  
Maria's car pulled around the corner just as the Evans' were pulling out of their driveway. She slowed a little, waiting for their car to recede down the street. "Good..." she said. "At least we won't have them to deal with." It was Isabel they needed to see. Max would never leave without telling his sister. Even he couldn't act that selfish, no matter how preoccupied he was with finding his son.  
  
They parked the car and hurried to the door. After knocking repeatedly and getting no answer, Michael unlocked the door with a slight motion of his hand. Everything was quiet inside as they made their way to Isabel's bedroom. The door was open, but she was nowhere to be seen. "She's not here," Maria said, starting to feel weariness take over her again. "Where else can she have gone? We at least have to try and...." Michael placed his finger over her lips to stop her from talking. He looked down the hall, and gently took Maria's hand. "She's here," he said quietly. He slowly led Maria towards the end of the hallway. Max's room. That door, too, was open, and inside, sitting on the floor in the corner, was Isabel. She didn't seem to notice their arrival, or she didn't care. Michael released Maria and walked over to Isabel. Crouching down beside her, he could see that she had been crying. After a while, she turned towards him.  
  
"He's gone." 


	3. Space Lovers In Flight

Disclaimer: All characters in this chapter are J. Katim's..none are mine. Still have that damn car though.  
  
Chapter Two: Space Lovers In Flight  
  
  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked quietly.  
  
Liz looked at the ground, finding it difficult to answer him. She had come so far, so fast....with him. Now she began to wonder if she'd taken enough time to think this through. This might be forever, she thought, her panic growing. Maybe only a short time...but, maybe forever. The word stuck in her mind, refusing to be ignored. She is leaving Maria, her best friend...the one who knew her better than she knew herself. Her family. Michael and Isabel. She felt her stomach fall at the thought of never seeing them again. 'Stop it,' she told herself. She willed the scientist in her to take control...'you're just looking for excuses because you're afraid. You'll never get this chance again...'  
  
She finally looked up at Max, and suddenly she knew her answer. She had promised to follow him anywhere, and now that promise was being put to the test. She let herself be absorbed in his expectant gaze, and all of her worries were dissolved. She belonged with him, and she wouldn't let him do this alone. Even if it meant never coming home.  
  
"I'm ready," she answered, as she tried to swallow the nervous lump that had formed in her throat. Max noticed her pale face, her trembling hands....he took them in his own and held them to his heart.  
  
"It's not too late, Liz. You can still go back...." he told her, trying to sound reassuring. Inside, he was terrified that she would leave him. He wasn't excited to return to Antar, as he thought he might have been. Instead, he was frightened. He had never needed Liz with him as much as he did now.  
  
"I'm coming with you." Liz said this with such determination that Max convinced himself that she was no longer trying to decide. He smiled at her, and took a deep breath. He kept hold of her hands, as much to steady hers as his own. Slowly, he placed them on the transporter that Langley had devised, using technology that Max could never begin to understand. He suddenly felt a wave of regret at his treatment of Langley, but there was no time for that now. No time for anything, for thoughts of his parents, of his sister, his friends. 'Concentrate....' he demanded of both Liz and himself. He closed his eyes and, as Langley had instructed him, focused all of his energy on thoughts of his son. He felt the transporter grow warm, and knew without opening his eyes that it had begun to emit a vibrant light.  
  
"It's working..." he heard Liz say. The surprise in her voice matched what he felt; he realized that he had never fully believed that this would work. He fought the urge to pull his hands from the orb...the realization that this was truly happening was almost more than he could bear. Gathering all of his strength, he submitted to sound he now heard coming from the transporter. He felt himself being absorbed into the light...his body seemed to fall away from him. He felt smaller, lighter, almost as if he wasn't really there at all. There was a fear inside of him that felt distant, not his own. 'Strange,' he thought...'I'm not afraid anymore.' He opened his eyes and saw that the room had been transformed into pure light...a beautiful blue glow had overtaken everything. The orb was giving off an eerie sound, growing louder now that he had opened his eyes. The sound was almost painful, and grew more so each moment. He turned to look at Liz, and something in her face brought him back to himself for just a moment...she was terrified. The fear he had felt was coming from her. He tried to speak, but suddenly there was no light, no sound....there was emptiness. And just seconds later, there was no Max.  
  
Liz tried to scream when her mind allowed her to comprehend what had happened, but she could make no sound. Max had vanished...she thought she could still feel him holding her hands, but he was no longer there. She was alone, and felt as if she were spinning through a long dark tunnel. Her mind fought to focus on what was happening, and she tried to push aside her fear. She saw what seemed like thousands of tiny lights passing her at an incredible speed, although she herself felt like she was moving in slow motion. Her body felt light, as if she had no mass at all, and in no time she settled down and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling. "This must be what the astronauts feel," she giggled....and was aware of a euphoric feeling coming over her. She felt happy and relaxed, and excited all at the same time. Max was forgotten, as were all of the people she had left behind. Nothing would please her more than to stay here forever.  
  
  
  
From somewhere that seemed very far away, Liz heard a voice interupting her pleasant thoughts. It sounded familiar, but she didn't want to be taken from this place. She fought the sound, tried to ignore it. When she felt that she had successfully rid herself of the distraction, she suddenly felt a very tight grip on her hands. She was being pulled from her tunnel, by a strength she had no power to control. It brought her back to herself, and she looked at her hands, the pressure approaching an unbearable pain. When she tried to pull away, she saw a faint outline of what was holding her. Something familiar, and yet not familiar...as it became clearer that she was being held by another pair of hands, she relaxed a bit. 'It's Max....' she sighed with relief. 'He's still here.' Her smile faded, though, when she realized that the hands....were not human. 


	4. Afternoon Delight...for Maria, Anyway

Chapter 3: Afternoon Delight....for Maria, Anyway  
  
  
  
Michael lowered himself to the floor and pulled Isabel to him. Looks like Max decided to tell someone after all, he thought. Maria stayed close to the doorway. She wanted to approach Isabel, offer her some comfort, but her thoughts were totally consumed with Liz. She wasn't in the mood to be supportive. She was too angry with Max.  
  
From where she stood, she interuppted Isabel's reverie.  
  
"Did he tell you he was leaving? Did you try to stop him? Do you know that your totally irresponsible and selfish brother took Liz with him on this misguided adventure?" Maria was getting angrier by the second.  
  
Isabel, already shaken by the departure of her brother, became defensive. She pulled away from Michael and stood up. Facing Maria, she letloose a stream of responses.  
  
"Yes, I know Liz was with him. And no, he didn't tell me he was leaving. Do you really think that I wouldn't have tried to stop him? Or tell Michael what was going on?" Her tears faded with her anger, and she realized that yelling at Maria wasn't the answer. Maria was just as upset as she was.  
  
Michael, forgotten in the corner by the shouting women, had a question of his own.  
  
"If Max didn't tell you, how did you know he was gone?"  
  
Isabel felt herself begin to shake again, remembering what had happened just an hour ago. She tried to find the words to explain, knowing anything she said wouldn't be enough.  
  
"I came home to see if Max still had some of my c.d.'s. I asked him for them a while ago, but he didn't give them to me, and Jesse and I were trying to put together a copy of all the songs that were played at our wedding....." She stopped, realizing that she was rambling. Taking a deep breath, she continued a little more slowly. "I didn't think anyone was home, my parent's truck was gone and I didn't see Max's car. So I came upstairs and opened my brother's bedroom door." Her trembling became visible, and amost immediately Michael was at her side. "Just slow down, Isabel," he said. "Take it easy, allright?"  
  
Isabel was too anxious to take his advice, and continued talking. "I opened his door," she repeated, "and this light, this...blue light was shining. Not shining," she halted. "More like, the room was made of it. I couldn't see anything except that light. And a sound, it was like...thousands of voices all talking at once. I could make out only parts of the words. But it kept getting louder until nothing made sense at all. When I got more used to the light, I saw Max and Liz standing in the center of the room, holding something. I don't know what it was though," she said, knowing Michael would ask her. "Liz looked allright, she was just scared, I think. But Max...he was...changing. He got smaller, and it looked like he was being lifted off of the floor. It happened so fast," she apologized. "Just a few moments later, he just....wasn't Max. He was something else. And then he was gone. The light was gone, the noise stopped, and I was alone here with Liz."  
  
At the mention of Liz's name, Maria rushed over to Isabel. "What do you mean? Alone here with Liz? She's here? Where?"  
  
Isabel pointed to the other side of the bed, and Maria ran past her.  
  
Liz was there, lying on the floor. Her face was pale and hollow, and she wasn't moving.  
  
"Oh God...Michael, help me..." she cried, and Michael moved to help her. Isabel caught his arm and said quietly, so that Maria wouldn't hear..."Michael, the voices I heard, they were chanting our names. But not these names. Our Antarian names." 


	5. Appearances, Appearances

Chapter Four: Appearances, Appearances  
  
Max and Liz stood before Khivar, Liz too terrified and Max too confused to speak. It had worked. Neither of them could believe that Langley's device had transported them to Antar. But there was no doubt, they were no longer on Earth.  
  
The sky was an ethereal shade of green, it seemed to glow in places. Though it was afternoon, for them the feel was of early morning, just after the sun had risen. While Max seemed to be having no trouble, Liz felt the atmosphere become heavy, and her breathing was laboured. She had already forgotten the sensations of her transport, and it seemed to her that she had been frightened by something just before finding herself here. Though what it was, she could no longer remember. She felt as though she were floating, weightless. She looked down to see herself firmly standing on the ground. Her expression of confusion was more than Khivar could bear, and he broke into a wide smile.  
  
"Have no fear, my girl. While watching you find your bearings could prove amusing to me for hours, I am afraid I haven't the time. No, I have many things to do, and now I have two more guests to prepare for. Well...one, actually. For while you are visible, and can feel fear and joy just as you did before, you are not really here." Seeing her look of disbelief, he could not help but laugh. He had grown rather fond of humans on his last visit to earth. Their emotions astonished him, and he found them to be great playthings. "Your mind is here, yes. Your beloved Zan has dragged that with him very much against your will. And as he will not be returning to earth, it is most likely you, also, will remain with us. I am sorry, though. While you can look upon all of the great wonder of Antar, you will be able to experience none of it. Your senses beyond sight and hearing are limited. Let me ask you....can you feel the hand that still holds your own?"  
  
Liz broke from his hypnotic glance and looked down at Max's hand holding hers. Khivar was right, she could not feel him. What is happening? she thought. I could feel him before...  
  
"Yes, you could," Khivar replied to her thoughts. "You had not completely left your planet at that time. And what little there is of the human brain...." he grinned, "was still clinging to your sensory perception. It still is, to some degree. For example, how do I look to you? And Zan?"  
  
Liz found his words terribly diorienting. To her, Khivar looked the same as any man she had ever seen. Although, there was something in his eyes that she couldn't discount. They were...different, somehow. But her thoughts turned quickly to Max, as did her gaze. Yes, Max. It was him, and he was the same as always. She did notice one peculiar thing which had escaped her attention until now. Max was not looking at her, nor had he looked at her since Khivar began speaking. His eyes were riveted to Khivar, and never had she seen him so intent.  
  
Khivar watched her closely, and his amusement grew with each passing moment. Oh, I am going to have fun with this one, he thought. There was no greater gift he could have received on the dawn of his festival. And so unplanned, so unexpected.  
  
"Your feeble human brain cannot comprehend the reality of this place, and so, stubbornly it will hold onto what it knows. It is in your best interest, I think. Should it be any other way, your mind would collapse in upon itself, and then what fun could i have?" He laughed at his own malice, and turned to leave them.  
  
"Farewell, for the time being, my friends. Fallinor will set you up in comfortable accomodations, enjoy your leisure until then. I shall call on you this evening, and it will be revealed to you just how happy I am that you have come, Zan."  
  
They watched him enter the palace and close the doors. Liz was stunned by the few things she had learned, and her fear was mounting. She turned to Max. "If I'm not really here," she began..."then where am I? Still on earth? How is that possible? Max?" She moved to face him, and found that he was still staring at the closed door.  
  
"Max? Max!!" She could get no response from him, not even a change in expression. She was no longer afraid, she was terrified. "Max!" she tried again. Nothing. A cold settled over her as she looked at him. This wasn't Max.  
  
"Zan?" she said quietly. His eyes moved slightly towards her, then back to the door. 


End file.
